Brown-Sequard syndrome results in which pattern of sensory and motor loss?

Brown-Sequard syndrome results in which pattern of sensory and motor loss?

• A. Bilateral loss of all sensation
• B. Ipsilateral loss of pain and temperature
• C. Contralateral loss of touch and proprioception
• D. Ipsilateral loss of light touch and motor function, with contralateral loss of pain and temperature sensation.

Answer: (D)

Brown-Sequard syndrome comes from a hemisection of the spinal cord, so the motor pathways and dorsal columns on the injured side are disrupted, producing ipsilateral weakness and loss of proprioception/light touch below the lesion. The spinothalamic tract, which carries pain and temperature, crosses to the opposite side early in the cord, so those sensations are lost contralaterally below the level of the lesion. This pattern—ipsilateral loss of light touch and motor function with contralateral loss of pain and temperature—fits Brown-Sequard exactly. The other patterns describe different injury configurations (e.g., bilateral complete loss, isolated ipsilateral pain/temperature loss, or isolated contralateral fine touch loss) and don’t reflect the hemicord lesion.

Brown-Sequard syndrome comes from a hemisection of the spinal cord, so the motor pathways and dorsal columns on the injured side are disrupted, producing ipsilateral weakness and loss of proprioception/light touch below the lesion. The spinothalamic tract, which carries pain and temperature, crosses to the opposite side early in the cord, so those sensations are lost contralaterally below the level of the lesion.

This pattern—ipsilateral loss of light touch and motor function with contralateral loss of pain and temperature—fits Brown-Sequard exactly. The other patterns describe different injury configurations (e.g., bilateral complete loss, isolated ipsilateral pain/temperature loss, or isolated contralateral fine touch loss) and don’t reflect the hemicord lesion.